Istanbul is developing rapidly and turning into a major commercial and financial hub, but is some of that development coming at the expense of the city's historical monuments? That appears to be the concern of UNESCO, which has warned Turkish officials that the city's historic center is in jeopardy of losing its designation as a World Heritage site.
Radio program "The World" recently visited Istanbul and filed a very interesting report about some of the dangers facing the city's cultural and historical heritage, particularly by the construction of a new tunnel that goes under the Bosphorus. The report (text and audio) can be found here.
Meanwhile, another project designed to cross the Bosphorus -- this one a bridge -- is also causing concern among environmentalists and city planners, who fear the project will destroy some of the last green space left in the growing city. Today's Zaman Andrew Finkel recently penned a column that takes a scathing look at the bridge's ramifications for Istanbul's environment -- it can be found here.
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